6/12 roof pitch: 26.57 degrees
A 6/12 roof pitch is 26.5651° to four places. Its multiplier, or rafter factor, is 1.118034, its grade is 50.00% and its slope ratio is 1 : 2.
Change the pitch
26.5651°≈
Multiply your run by 1.118034 for the rafter length. Hips and valleys at this pitch are in the app.
Rafter length at 6/12, by span
Run is half the span on a symmetrical gable. Length is along the rafter, before any birdsmouth, ridge or tail is taken off.
| Building span | Run | Rafter length | Decimal feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 10 ft | 11' 2-3/16" | 11.180 ft |
| 24 ft | 12 ft | 13' 5" | 13.416 ft |
| 28 ft | 14 ft | 15' 7-13/16" | 15.652 ft |
| 32 ft | 16 ft | 17' 10-11/16" | 17.889 ft |
| 36 ft | 18 ft | 20' 1-1/2" | 20.125 ft |
Every row is the run multiplied by 1.118034, the rafter factor for 6/12. The multiplier for every pitch is on the roof pitch multiplier table.
What 6/12 means on the roof
Six in twelve is the most common residential roof pitch in the United States, and it is usually taken as the top of what is comfortably walkable. Past here most roofers start reaching for jacks.
The working is the arctangent of the rise over the run: atan(6 ÷ 12) = 26.5651°. The rafter factor is the hypotenuse of the same triangle over its base, √(12² + 6²) ÷ 12, which is why multiplying any run by 1.118034 gives the rafter. That figure is the roof pitch multiplier, and it is the same number whatever the size of the roof.
A hip or valley where both roofs are 6/12 runs at 45° across the plan, so it is longer than the common rafter beside it: 1.5000 ft of hip for every foot of common run, which is 15' 0" over a 10 ft common run against 11' 2-3/16" for the rafter.
Shingle slope limits quoted here are from the IRC, the United States model code. Your state, province or county may amend them, and several do.
Other pitches: 1/12 · 2/12 · 3/12 · 4/12 · 4.5/12 · 5/12 · 6.5/12 · 7/12 · 8/12 · 9/12 · 10/12 · 11/12 · 12/12. Every pitch from 1/12 to 24/12 is on the roof pitch to degrees chart.
